La Salle catcher Nick Dermo watches anxiously as state championship game remained close until the Explorers managed to break open a lead in the late innings for their second state championship in three years.
Rick Kauffman/Times Herald Staff

WHITEMARSH — Half a lifetime ago, Joe DiWilliams and Nick Dermo had just discovered the game of baseball, and in doing so, discovered new friends. Playing in the Whitemarsh Little League, DiWilliams and Dermo were always either competing or combining their efforts.

When high school came around the two parted ways, Dermo to La Salle, DiWilliams to Archbishop Carroll, and competed throughout their high school years. This past senior season the two earned honors on the All-Catholic League teams — Dermo had the pleasure of earning his second state championship with La Salle — and in the offseason they have combined their powers for the Lafayette Auto Patriots in the Greater Norristown Area Legion Baseball League.

Through the years of facing off against each other the two players strived to be better. Their friendly competition was strictly within the lines of the field and all in the names of their schools.

“He’s not cocky at all, he’s just naturally competitive,” DiWilliams said about Dermo. “He taught me to stay humble, and to have my mind always set on the game.”

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Named to the All-Catholic Blue (Dermo) and Red (DiWilliams) teams, their contributions to their squads pushed Carroll and La Salle into the PCL playoffs before both teams bowed out from losses to the eventual champion, Neumann-Goretti.

But now sharing time in the field — DiWilliams in the outfield, Dermo behind the plate — they hope their experience playing in one of the toughest divisions in all of Pennsylvania high school baseball will give the Patriots a push forward.

“For two first-team All-Catholics to be playing together on the same legion team their senior season is pretty awesome,” Dermo said. “It’s pretty cool, because we get to talk about the whole league and what we’ve seen throughout the season.”

Dermo feels fortunate to have DiWilliams in his corner, not only just as a friend on the squad, but since they both enjoy going over their matchups during the regular season for bragging rights.

“He knows the whole concept of the Catholic league and competitiveness and so do I. It’s cool to talk to him about that,” Dermo said.

As competitors, the two jumped at the opportunity to face off. Since the Catholic league has such rich tradition, the rivalries from one team to another are always fierce and carry over from one season to the next.

“There’s no such thing as friends when you step between the lines. You’re just trying to get out and win,” DiWilliams said. “It’s bragging rights and you can always bust the other guy’s chops.”

“I love it, because there’s a competitiveness in both of us. But at the end of the day we’re always going to be friends,” Dermo said. “On the field we both recognize that our team wants to win, but you want to put out your best effort with sportsmanship and respect.”

Since La Salle’s season ran so long, Dermo just recently rejoined the Patriots and aims to make an immediate impact. DiWilliams, meanwhile, has been doing his part all season-long and sits atop the list of averages hitting .375.

In the fall, Dermo will travel to Penn State where he will pursue an undergraduate degree in engineering, while DiWilliams aims to walk-on the baseball team when he begins his studies at Kutztown University.